Packaging of asphalt and the like



Dec. 18, 1962 H. D. BURRELL ETAL 3,06

PACKAGING OF- ASPHALT AND THE LIKE Filed April 14. 1960 asphalt is essentially nonadherent.

United States; Pa

3,068,621 PACKAGING F ASPHALT AND THE LIKE Harry D. Burreli, Lawrenceviile, IlL, and John R. Burgess, Westfield, Ni, assignors to Witco Chemical Company, Inc., New York, N.Y., a corporation of Delaware Filed Apr. 14, 1960, Ser. No. 22,293 2 Claims. ((11. 53-48) This invention relates to new and useful improvements in the packaging of asphalt and similar products. The invention will be described below in relation particularly to the packaging of asphalt, where it has especially important utility, although it will be apparent that the principles and teachings are also applicable to the packing generally of other products which are liquid or molten at elevated temperatures but which are solid under atmospheric temperature conditions. Such other products include, by way of illustration, coal tar pitches, rosin and rosin products, waxes and waxy products, and various asphaltic products.

In the usual current practice of packaging asphalt for shipping, molten asphalt is filled into generally fiberboard containers which are generally cylindrical or parallele- Piped in shape and which, in the case of the cylindrical containers, are commonly of a diameter of about 13 to 20 inches and which may have a height of from about to about 30 inches. The inner surfaces of such containers are provided with a release coating to which solid When the asphalt is desired to be used by the user, the cylindrical container is removed from the solid body of asphalt, ordinarily by slitting the container and pulling it oif the solid body of asphalt and sometimes by sliding said container ofl'f the body, thus leaving a solid block of asphalt.

Not infrequently, it is desired to use only a portion of the body of asphalt and it becomes necessary, therefore, to cut off from the larger body a portion of the size desired or needed for a given purpose. This requires relatively cumbersome operations of chopping or cutting and handling. In an efiort to meet this problem, it has heretofore been the practice of the producer of the asphalt to pour the molten asphalt into individual metal pans or molds to produce asphalt ingots of a size substantially less than that which is represented by a conventional cylindrical or similar body such as previously described. The resulting cast ingots have then been packaged and shipped. Such practice, however, requires hand labor and involves special handling requirements after production, entailing certain practical difiiculties and high cost considerations, matters which are of especial importance in dealing with such low-cost and low-profit margin materials as asphalt.

In accordance with our invention, the difficulties heretofore encountered are overcome in a simple and highly efiicacious manner. This is achieved by utilizing the conventional asphalt packaging and shipping cartons, such as described above, but etfecting the packaging and production of individual ingots in a minimum of operations.

In the practice of our invention, a container is provided which, as indicated above, has an inner surface to which solid asphalt is essentially nonadherent, then substantially filling said container with the molten asphalt, then forcing into the body of said molten asphalt a divider comprising a plurality of separating elements whereby to form a series of vertical compartments within said container, said divider extending essentially through the depth of said body of molten asphalt, the surfaces of said divider being essentially nonadherent to asphalt, and then effecting solidification of said asphalt whereby, upon removal of said container, a plurality of separate ingots of solid asphalt is obtained.

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The invention will be described in further detail in conjunction with the drawing which shows, by way of exemplification, an illustrative embodiment.

FIG; 1 is a perspective View showing a conventional type of asphalt packaging fiberboard carton with a divider poised above said carton.

FIG. 2 is a perspective view showing said carton filled with molten asphalt, the divider being shown partially disposed through the body of said molten asphalt.

FIG. 3 is a perspective view of a divider useful in the practice of the invention.

FIG. 4 is a perspective view of a finished asphalt package showing the divider in position in the fiberboard carton.

FIG. 5 is a perspective view showing the removal of the carton from the solidified divided body of asphalt by sliding said carton ofi said body.

FIG. 6 is a perspective view showing the manner in which the ingots readily separate upon removal of the carton.

*In carrying out the invention, as indicated above, a conventional type of closed bottomed cylindrical carton 10, made of fiberboard and the inner surface of which is provided with a coating to which solid asphalt is essentially nonadherent, is filled in the usual manner with molten asphalt 11. After the filling has been completed, a divider 12 is forced down into and through the body of molten asphalt, to the bottom of the carton 10, while said asphalt is still in liquid or flowable form. This divider 12 may take various forms but most desirably it is made of fiberboard and is provided with a surface, such as that of the fiberboard container 10, which is essentially nonadherent to asphalt. If desired, however, said divider may be made of metal or wood or plastic or resinous materials of suflicient rigidity as to maintain its form when pressed down through the body of molten asphalt. Such metal, wood or plastic or resinous divider, it will be understood, is provided with a surface coating, such as well-known release coatings, to which solid asphalt is essentially nonadherent.

The divider may be made in such a manner as to provide at least two and, particularly desirably, four separate vertical compartments 13,14, 16 and 17, of generally similar cross-sectional area. A simple and effective divider is made from two sheets 18 and 19, of fiberboard, each about inch thick, stapled together at their central lines by means of a plurality of conventional staples 21, and scored along the staple lines. The exact construction of the divider and the exact number of vertical compartments formed when the divider is forced into the body of molten asphalt is not critical but is governed by practical considerations.

After the divider has been properly inserted into the body of molten asphalt, whereby said divider preferably extends slightly above the upper level of molten asphalt in the carton 10, as shown more particularly in FIG. 4, the carton is cooled or allowed to cool whereby to effect solidification of the asphalt. The carton may then be provided with a cover if desired and is ready for shipment or distribution to he utltimate user. The latter then removes the carton 10 from the solidified asphalt body 22, preferably by slitting said carton and pulling it 01f, or, alternatively, under some conditions, by sliding it ofi said body, as shown more particularly in FIG. 5. Thereupon, a plurality of separate ingots is obtained, four in number, 23, 24, 25 and 26, in the illustrative embodiment shown in the drawings.

It has been found to be important, if the full benefits of the invention are sought to be obtained, and as described above, to place the divider into the container after the molten asphalt or the like is filled into the container.

'sume somewhat random positions.

By so proceeding, a number of advantages is obtained. In the first place, particularly where cylindrical fiberboard containers are used, such as are commonly employed for the packaging of asphalt, such containers when set up empty ready to be filled are generally somewhat ovalshaped and do not assume their cylindrical configuration until they are filled with the molten asphalt. If the divider is inserted into the container before admission of themolten asphalt, certain problems including loss of time arise in effectively and expeditiously producing the proper forming of the container. In addition, the filling problem using conventional filling equipment is complicated ifrthe divider is inserted into the container before admitting the molten asphalt.

Again, if a fiberboard or like divider of the. type particularly desired to be used in the practice of the present invention is employed, in which the leaves are movable about a central vertical axis, as illustrated in the attached drawing, unless the divider is inserted after the molten asphalt has been filled into the container there is a defiinite tendency of the leaves of the divider to move and to as The result is that very unevenly-shaped ingots tend to be produced. However, when the container is first filled with the molten asphalt, the fact that the latter has a high viscosity assists in maintaining the leaves of the divider in substantially an even arrangement when said divider is so inserted into the body of moltent asphalt in the container and, under such conditions, relatively uniform sizes and shapes of ingots are obtained. I Y

It will be seen, in the light of the foregoing detailed description, that an extremely simple and highly efiective solution has been evolved to a problem which has concerned the asphalt packaging and related industries for a great many years. While the invention has been described in detail and a preferred embodiment has been shown, no unnecessary limitationsshould by reason thereof be implied since various changes can be made without in any manner departing from the guiding principles disclosed.

What we claim as new and desire to protect by Letters Patent of the United States is:

1. In a method of packaging products which are normally viscous liquids at; elevated temperatures but which are solid under atmospheric temperature conditions, said products being selected from the class consisting of asphalt, coal tar pitch,- rosin and wax, whereby to produce stantially filling said container with said product in liquid form, then forcing into the body of said liquid product a divider comprising a plurality of vertical separating wall elements radiating from and interconnecting along a central vertical axis whereby to form a series of vertical compartments within said container thereby subdividing the product into a plurality of separated sections, the outer unconnected end portions of the wall elements normally being nnsupported and capable of assuming random positions, said divider extending essentially through the depth of the liquid product in said container, the surfaces of said divider being essentially nonadherent to said solid product, and effecting solidification of said liquid product whereby, upon removal of said container, a plurality of separate ingots of said product is obtained.

2. In a method of packaging asphalt to provide a plurality of solid ingots, the steps which comprise providing a generally cylindrical vertically oriented fiberboard container open at the top thereof and having an inner surface to which solid asphalt is essentially nonadherent, substantially filling said container with molten asphalt, then forcing into the body of said molten asphalt a fiberboard divider comprising a plurality of equally spaced but flexible vertical separating wall elements radiating from and interconnected along a central axis whereby the outer unconnected end portions of the wall elements can assume random positions thereby subdividing the product into a plurality of separated sections, whereby to form within said container aser-ies of vertical compartments of generally similar cross-sectional area, said divider extending essentially through the depth of said container and extending slightly above the level of said molten asphalt into said container, the surfaces of said divider being essentially nonadherent to asphalt, and

eliecting solidification of said asphalt whereby, upon removal of said container, a plurality of separate substantially equally sized ingots of solid asphalt is obtained.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Rice Jan. 18, 1944 Smith July 4, 1944 

1. IN A METHOD OF PACKAGING PRODUCTS WHICH ARE NORMALLY VISCOUS LIQUIDS AT ELEVATED TEMPERATURES BUT WHICH ARE SOLID UNDER ATMOSPHERIC TEMPERATURE CONDITIONS, SAID PRODUCTS BEING SELECTED FROM THE CLASS CONSISTING OF ASPHALT, COAL TAR PITCH, ROSIN AND WAX, WHERENY TO PRODUCE A PLURALITY OF SOLID INGOTS, THE STEPS WHERE COMPRISE PROVIDING AN OPEN TOP CONTAINER HAVING AN INNER SURFACE TO WHICH SAID SOLID PRODUCT IS ESSENTIALLY NON-ADHERENT, SUBSTANTIALLY FILLING SAID CONTAINER WITH SAID PRODUCT IN LIQUID FORM, THEN FORCING INTO THE BODY OF SAID LIQUID PRODUCT A DIVIDER COMPRISING A PLURALITY OF VERTICAL SEPARATING WALL ELEMENTS RADIATING FROM AND INTERCONNECTING ALONG A CENTRAL VERTICAL AXIS WHEREBY TO FORM A SERIES OF VERTICAL COMPARTMENTS, WITHIN SAID CONTAINER THEREBY SUBDIVIDING THE PRODUCT INTO A PLURALITY OF SEPARATED SECTIONS, THE OUTER UNCONNECTED END PORTIONS OF THE WALL ELEMENTS NORMALLY BEING UNSUPPORTED AND CAPABLE OF ASSUMING RANDOM POSITIONS, SAID DIVIDER EXTENDING ESESNTIALLY THROUGH THE DEPTH OF THE LIQUID PRODUCT IN SAID CONTAINER THE SURFACES OF SAID DIVIDER BEING ESSENTIALLY NONADHERENT TO SAID SOLID PRODUCT, AND EFFECTING SOLIDIFICATION OF SAID LIQUID PRODUCT WHEREBY, UPON REMOVAL OF SAID CONTAINER, A PLURALITY OF SEPARATE INGOTS OF SAID PRODUCT IS OBTAINED. 